RAG Demo

Tag: Traditional

  • Assamese Khar

    Khar is both an ingredient and a dish, and it is so central to Assamese identity that the community sometimes calls itself 'khar khowa', the khar eaters. The ingredient is an alkaline liquid made by burning dried peel of the bhim kol banana, mixing the ash with water and filtering it. Traditionally khar is the first dish eaten at a meal.

    The most common version is papaya khar: raw papaya, often with a little masoor dal or rice, cooked in mustard oil with garlic and green chilli and then simmered with a spoon of khar. The alkali softens the vegetables and gives a distinctive smooth, slightly soapy-earthy taste that is hard to compare to anything else. Baking soda is the usual substitute outside Assam.

    At a glance

    RegionAssam
    CuisineAssamese
    DietVegan
    CourseSide dish
    Prep time15 minutes
    Cook time25 minutes
    Total time40 minutes
    Serves4
    Spice levelMild
    DifficultyEasy
    Gluten-freeYes
    Key ingredientsraw papaya / masoor dal / khar (banana ash water) / garlic

    Ingredients

    • 2 cups raw papaya, peeled and cut into 2 cm cubes
    • 1/4 cup masoor dal, soaked 20 minutes
    • 2 tbsp mustard oil
    • 1/2 tsp fenugreek seeds or panch phoron
    • 4 garlic cloves, crushed
    • 2 green chillies, slit
    • 1 1/2 tbsp khar (or 1/4 tsp baking soda dissolved in 2 tbsp water)
    • 1 1/2 cups water
    • Salt to taste

    Method

    1. Heat the mustard oil in a pan until it smokes, then lower the heat to medium.
    2. Add the fenugreek seeds and let them turn light brown, then add the crushed garlic and green chillies and fry for 30 seconds until fragrant.
    3. Add the papaya cubes and drained masoor dal. Stir-fry on medium heat for 3-4 minutes.
    4. Add salt and 1 1/2 cups water and bring to a boil.
    5. Stir in the khar. Cover and simmer on low heat for 15-18 minutes until the papaya is soft and the dal has broken down.
    6. Mash a few papaya pieces lightly to thicken the gravy. It should be a loose, soupy consistency. Serve hot.

    Tips

    • Be careful with the quantity – too much khar or baking soda makes the dish taste soapy and bitter.
    • Some families add a handful of soaked rice with the dal to give the khar more body, or a few pieces of fish head for a non-vegetarian version.
    • Khar is eaten in small portions as the first course, mixed with a little rice.

    Serve with

    The first few mouthfuls of plain rice at an Assamese meal.

  • Ragi Mudde

    Ragi mudde, or ragi ball, has been the staple food of rural south Karnataka for centuries, especially in Mandya, Mysore, Hassan and Tumkur. Farmers eat it because it is filling and gives steady energy through a day of field work. Ragi grows well in dry conditions, and a meal of mudde with saaru is still everyday food in many Kannada homes.

    The balls are smooth, dense and greyish-brown with a mild, earthy taste. They are not chewed: a small piece is pinched off, rolled in the gravy and swallowed. That is why mudde is always eaten with a thin, spicy gravy such as bassaru, soppina saaru or a mutton or chicken saaru.

    At a glance

    RegionKarnataka
    CuisineKannada
    DietVegan
    CourseMain course
    Prep time5 minutes
    Cook time20 minutes
    Total time25 minutes
    Serves3
    Spice levelMild
    DifficultyMedium
    Gluten-freeYes
    Key ingredientsragi flour / water / salt

    Ingredients

    • 1 cup ragi flour (finger millet flour)
    • 2 cups water
    • 1/2 tsp salt
    • 1 tsp ghee or oil (optional)

    Method

    1. Bring 2 cups water, salt and ghee to a rolling boil in a heavy-bottomed pot.
    2. Take out about 1/2 cup of the boiling water and keep it aside in a bowl.
    3. Lower the heat to medium-low and add the ragi flour all at once in a mound in the centre. Do not stir. Let it sit on the boiling water for 2-3 minutes so the flour steams.
    4. Using the handle of a wooden spoon or a traditional mudde kolu, stir vigorously to combine the flour and water, breaking up any lumps. It will be a thick, stiff mass.
    5. If it is too stiff, add a little of the reserved hot water. Keep stirring and pressing on low heat for 3-5 minutes until smooth and the flour is fully cooked. It should not stick to a wet finger.
    6. Cover and cook on the lowest heat for 2 minutes, then switch off.
    7. Wet your palms with water, take a portion of the hot mixture and roll it into a smooth ball on a wet plate. Repeat. Serve hot.

    Tips

    • Adding the flour without stirring at first is the trick to lump-free mudde.
    • A cooked mudde does not stick to wet fingers; if it does, cook a little longer.
    • Use a wooden stick or the back of a wooden spoon; a metal ladle will not mix it well.

    Serve with

    Bassaru, soppina saaru, avarekalu saaru or a spicy country chicken curry.